Midnight Eyes
by Lifeless Eyes
Summary: In a war bound to come, two rivals, two bestfriends are given the question, If it comes down to it.... can I really kill him? And if so... will it kill me too? How do you take the life of the most precious person in yours? SasuNaru Angst


What was once a mere thread of friendship had snapped long ago, and here he stood holding the body of the one precious person in his arms, bathed in his blood. The instinctive thought that would come to your mind would be, "The boy in his arms died for him, he must have tried to save him," but that wasn't the truth. No, the truth probably hurt more than anything. He was bathed in his best friend's blood, because he was the reason he was dead.

Empty blue eyes stared into the lifeless obsidian that still, even in death bore a deep hole in his spirit. Clutching the lifeless young man in his arms he rocked back and forth whispering as if he could hear him, "I'm so sorry…. I had to, I had…. I'm so sorry." He let his mind drift to the battle, the final battle...

The war that had so been talked about, soon became the inevitable. So there stood the once loud-mouth of Kohona. Finally a high class-ranked Ninja staring across the battlefield. Screams of war raged and all around him could be heard the sound of kunai striking one another. The blood was so strong in the air that it nearly sickened him to his stomach. Blue eyes gazed across the bodies that littered the area, and his eyes met with the midnight skies themselves. He could feel the air around him suddenly grow hotter even as his body felt like ice. His blonde hair swayed as the rush of wind came across watching with a careful eye of the man who's raven hair blew in the wind, never did he lose his passive face, his black eyes staring at him.

"Naruto," The small acknowledgment was confirmed as Naruto let the voice of a traitor, of a liar, of his best friend wash over his ears. So long, it had been so long since he had that voice, rich as chocolate and smooth as the flat side of a knife. Naruto's heart beat erractically against his chest, 'This is it,' he closed his eyes and opened letting all emotion, anything that would betray him as weak wash away.

"Sasuke," Who knew his voice could be so cold, so unforgiving? He breathed in the smell of blood and let out a breath as his more mature voice rang towards Sasuke,

"You ready? Cause I won't hold back anything from you," Sasuke obtained an amused look to his eyes, as the challenge was set,

"You won't? I beg to differ dobe," Naruto clenched his hands as he tried to stop the voice inside his heart that screamed at him, pushing it down Naruto let a small smile of sadness.

"Be ready Teme, this is the last battle, and whoever loses dies here," Sasuke let the words sink in as he gazed at Naruto. He had grown up so much, but then again being a ninja did that to you. The Naruto he knew never let someone die if he could prevent it. His soul was pure and the essence of true strength, yet here stood before him claiming one would die.

Sasuke closed his eyes and spoke softly yet loud enough for him to hear, "Hn….you that confident?" he asked, standing in all his superiorty with the black garmants that rustled in the wind.

Naruto let no emotion cross his countenance as he answered clearly though his entire body was shaking with dread, "Always was…. Always will be, but answer me one question….was it worth it?" Sasuke allowed a small bit of confusion to cross his face. Was what worth it? Ochimaru?

"Was what worth it? Be specific dobe," Naruto swallowed thickly as he asked again, "Was the power you have now, worth throwing away everything you had? Was it worth giving up being surrounded by people who loved you? Was it WORTH it to betray you own village!" Naruto's voice kept increasing with each question that passed his trembling lips,

"Was it worth it to see this war rage? Was it…. Was it worth to give up me?" Naruto voice went soft, and reminded Sasuke that the Naruto that was so full of life was dead.He felt a piece of him flinch at the small voice that told him, he was themain cause.Was it worth it? Sasuke couldn't tell him, he couldn't tell him he was sorry because what had been done, was done, and no matter how hard he wished he could never turn it back and fix it, but damn did he wish he could.

"What a stupid question," Naruto let a sad smile pass his lips. He had his answer now, Sasuke never cared about him or anyone, however it didn't make it any easier to kill him…. And there was still the question of could he do it?Could he truly destroy the one person thatever made him feel worth something?

"Then let's begin," and so they did.

Both began rushing at each other, never holding anything back, almost creating a deadly dance of graceas each demonstrated what they had learned over the course of the years spent apart. Kick, punch, jump, dodge, everything was running through their minds. Naruto fought with all he had, sweat rolling down his dirty cheeks yet he was venting off his anger, depression trying to find some of the same Sasuke left. Yet nothing could be detected even as let his heart realize that as they fought now, it was like so many year ago when he was twelve and Sasuke had nearly killed him, except this time he wouldn't be the one to fall. Funny he could almost here the water falling in the background.

The air lay thick around them, the screams of others deaf on their ears, all they could hear was the pounding of their hearts and the doubts that filled them. Breaking apart Sasuke heaved in air, "You've gotten better dobe," Naruto in a similar state smirked, "Or maybe you've gotten worse Teme," Sasuke glared and again they began rushing at each other. Sasuke could almost let himself believe they were training again, that everything was how it was supposed to be, and yet in his heart he knew, knew he had screwed up, but he owed Naruto this. He owed Naruto a fair fight and so he didn't back down, let everything he knew into the fight.

The field had become like a stage that lit up their bodies, fighting so gracefully and yet so deadly that it would kill one to watch. Sasuke quickly saw an opening and threw a kunai at the blonde ninja. Naruto who had barely seen the attack narrowly dodged the kunai aimed for his heart, but not without leaving a mildly gash upon his arm. Hissing he retreated back into a fighting stance, feeling that his breathing was growing heavier with every move he made. His body felt weak, so very weak. 'NO! I won't lose, I have to… I have to end this, so that this war can be over, so that Sakura can smile again, so I can go back to Kohona and forget,' Sasuke tried to regain his composure but fell somewhat short.

Both looked into each other's eyes and knew, that stalling was taking it's toll, and the time to strike was now. Each felt like their souls were being ripped out and yet they couldn't back down, one who had to fight and protect his village and the other who had owed this fight. And somehow both stood a little straighter, wanting to go into death with whatever dignity they had left, so that if they died at least the died with pride as a Ninja.

Silence like night filled the area, and for a minute everything stopped. Naruto allowed all the memories to fill his head and tried to shove back the tears that threatened to fall. This should of ended differently, this shouldn't of been the out come, buthe had to, he was obligated to, he was ordered to, but he didn't want to.

Naruto's entire body was trembling taking in the figure not so far away, he had grown taller, and into a wicked beauty. His pale skin had never darkened his raven hair had been kept the way it always had, although he had grown much taller, he remained slim and lean. His body was marked with wounds and his clothing torn, and on the back of his shirt the Uchiha still remained, forever a symbol of his betrayal and his reason for life.

Naruto stood, no longer a foolish little boy, but a man who had become one of the strongest and was amazingly beautiful as he stood before him. In the prodigy's mind, he was smiling, he had finally achieved aknowledgement, he had done what he set out to do, and somewhere inside of him, he knew the dobe always would.Funny how in this last situation he thought he'd never see the mop of blonde hair or ocean eyes ever again, yet he was staring at them. The naivety lost, they had gained a shaper edge of intensity that it shook him to his core. He could die looking in those eyes...

Naruto let his eyes close for a brief second as he tried to call on his chakara, he called on Kyubbi the nine-tailed fox demon that resided inside of him. 'Lend me your strength,' and all of a sudden red surrounded him as his normally blue yes turned read with slits down the middle. He felt the wounds on his body disappear and his soul rage with uncontained fury.

Sasuke watched a bit of fear surfacing, yet he let Sharigain come forth, red enveloped his eyes as he allowed himself to conjure Chidori, his body feeling a bit stronger as he channeled his energy into his hand. Here they were the end, and all the could do was stand there, letting the last bit of silence come before they ended with cries of war.

Again they ran, Naruto and Sasuke using their top speed leaving nothing held back and charged at each other……

All that could be heard was the cries of two warriors and suddenly everything went deadly silent. In the middle of the crater that had been created stood two beaten rivals, but if one would look closer a hand had gone through the chest where the heart should have been. The crimson red, streamed down the corners of the once flawless face. With a small smile,Sasuke's body fell forward with a slump against Naruto who's body fell towards the ground. Sasuke looked up his eyes shimmering on death, as three words whispered softly past his blood caked lips, "Wasn't…. worth …. Wasn't worth it," and his midnight eyes turned lifeless.He died looking into the swirls of ocean.

So there they were Naruto clutching Sasuke's body crying as his tears fell freely down his face. Naruto lifted his bloodied hands and stroked the raven hair softly which then moved down to his cheek. 'He's so cold,' Naruto thought softly. His best friend, dead. His heart lurched as if Sasuke had ripped it out even though he had done so literally to him. Naruto leaned down and brushed as soft kiss against his head and whispered in his ear, "I always forgave you," and sobbed loudly as he continued hugging the shell of what once was close to him.

The war was over, Kohona had won, and yet he felt no joy, no relief, but extreme sadness, hurt, and it ate away at him. The exiles that didn't belong to Kohona quickly made for escape as they felt the energy level of their leader vanish. They retreated in defeat. As the Ninja's cheered, two stood next to each other, knowing what had happened. Sakura closed her eyes and allowed her tears to fall, allowed her body to collapse as Kakashi caught her. Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat, 'God…. I didn't think you could do it Naruto,' he felt exhaustion try to consume him but he merely pushed it down and carried the now unconscious female towards Naruto, who still cradled the dead Uchiha.

"You know it's how he probably wanted it, he did fulfill his purpose Naruto, he killed Itachi, he got his revenge," Kakashi was cut short as Naruto screamed at him, "You think I don't know that? You think… It hurts so much… I didn't think it would have to end like this….. not like this," Naruto smiled sadly as he looked up at Kakashi, he felt so tired… all he wanted to do was sleep. He felt himself bordering on the edge of this world and the next.

"Can I go now Kakashi? Can I leave now?" Kakashi let the shock of the statement sink in, looking at him with heart-broken eyes he smiled, "You did good Naruto, I'm gonna miss you kid…..you would've made one hell of a Hokage," Naruto smiled at the acknowledgment and whispered softly, "Thanks sensei, I'll see you again," and like that the sweet dark abyss consumed him, his only thought left was , 'Sasuke I'm coming,' and then his breath was gone.

There lied the two strongest Ninja's ever to live cradled in each other's arms, both gone from the world that had so dearly clung to them.

Time however moves on, and people soon lay forgotten, memories are a tricky thing. While they bring joy, they bring sadness as well.However, memories can also be legends and a legend lives on forever, for it never dies and never disappears, and though it may become rare, there is always some who know it's story well...

Green eyes stared at the tablets that stood right next to each other, "Kiya! Where are you?" The green eyes looked up to meet identical ones as she looked up at her mother, "Mommy who are they?" she asked her small fingers pointing at the granite stones. The woman with green eyes smile softly as she pushed down her tears. The sun making a ray on the two stones in the small clearing that had once been a training area. Trees surrounding the two, "Mommy?" The woman smiled as she knelt beside her daughter and spoke gently, "They were my best friends, my teammates and they were the strongest Ninja's alive," Kiya's eyes widened with fascination.

"Sakura! Kiya! Where are you two?" both looked up to meet the dark raven hair that never lost it's length, and the white silver eyes that bore intoone's very soul,Sakura smiled, "I was telling her about the two greatest Ninja's alive Neji,"Neji's eyes widened and smiled sadly. "Daddy? What does it say?"Neji looked at the stones and his soft baritone voice filtered the air, "It says Naruto Uzamaki and Sasuke Uchiha, rivals, best friends, enemies, allies, forever their souls will reside here as an example of strength, love, purity, hatred, betrayal, taint and above all the true way of the Ninja."


End file.
